Poker
by The Overlady
Summary: This is why you should never leave the Sages and the Hero of Time together in a room with only a pack of cards.


Seven people stood in the middle of a large room. One was a water nymph, blue with webbed feet and fins along her arms. One was some kind of ogre, brown as dirt, a mane of hair crowning his head. One was a child, dressed all in green, with emerald hair. One was a tanned thief, dressed in white, with flaming red hair. One was a sinewy woman, with slate gray hair and form fitting armor. One was a royal, a princess, dressed in white and pink. And the last was a warrior, dressed in the green of fields.  
  
"Where's Rauru?" said the warrior, glancing around.  
  
"He forgot how to get out of the Sacred Realm, so we left him there," answered the thief.  
  
"So what should we do?" asked the princess.  
  
"I don't know, Link was the one who said we should get together," said the nymph.  
  
"Well we don't see enough of each other," said Link.  
  
"How about a card game?" asked the ogre-like being.  
  
"Does anyone even have any cards?" asked the child.  
  
"I actually do." This time it was the thief who spoke.  
  
"You would, Nabooru..." trailed off the woman with gray hair, standing protectively over the princess.  
  
"You're just jealous, Impa."  
  
"People, please, let's not let petty differences get in the way of our reunion!" cried the nymph.  
  
"Give it a rest, Ruto," snapped Nabooru.  
  
"She has a point," argued the princess.  
  
"Oh, now the tiny tot is going to preach to us. Stay out of it, Zelda."  
  
"Nabooru!" cried the child in green.  
  
"Well, Saria, children should respect their elders."  
  
"I'm probably older than you, I'm just going to be a child forever!"  
  
"Are you being racist, Nab?" asked the nymph.  
  
"Great, we're getting a sermon from the fish woman!" said Impa.  
  
"Hey! Don't you patronize me!"  
  
"Who's next, the walking rock?"  
  
"I didn't even say anything to you! Gerudo, they think they're the best in the world."  
  
Nabooru leapt at Dariuna before the words had finished leaving his mouth. Impa tried in vain to pull the two apart, and was distracted by Ruto, who had started yelling at her. Saria and Zelda stood by the sidelines, wondering about the wisdom of their elders.  
  
"POKER!" called Link, the only one not caught in the melee. Everybody stopped and stared at him.  
  
"What are you on about?" Saria was the first one to break the silence.  
  
"We should play poker!" continued Link. "That's what we should do during this little get-together."  
  
"Haven't you even realized that we're having a fight?" Nabooru voiced what was on everyone's mind.  
  
"Er, actually I was trying to think of what to do, and was facing the other way. Why were you fighting?"  
  
A collective sigh went around the group. "Don't worry about it."  
  
Soon the group found themselves seated at a table, cards in hand. Some were smiling, some were not. Link looked down at his hand. "Fine. I bet five rupees."  
  
"Five? That's nothing! I'll match your five, and raise you twenty," said Ruto confidently.  
  
"Just because you're rich doesn't mean you have to rub it in my face," retorted Link.  
  
"Ha! I'll match that, and raise you ten more." Zelda smiled at the annoyed look on Link's face. "You're just jealous because you're the poorest person at this table."  
  
Link mumbled something inaudible.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Inconsiderate little-  
  
"Saria, it's your turn, right?" interrupted Impa, shooting Link a glance.  
  
A slow smile spread itself along Saria's face. "I'll match that number and raise thirty rupees."  
  
Everyone gawked at her.  
  
"Where did you get that kind of money, Saria?" asked Link.  
  
"It's amazing how many people want to buy your stuff, Link..." Saria answered innocently. Link's mouth dropped open.  
  
"Back to the game. I'll match that and raise you guys ten," said Nabooru.  
  
"Er, I'll just call, then..." said Dariuna meekly.  
  
"Ha, Dariuna can't play poker!" teased Nabooru.  
  
"If you would stop hogging all the good cards, maybe I'd have a better hand!"  
  
"It's not my fault that you couldn't bluff if your life depended on it."  
  
"Fine!" Dariuna said huffily. "_Fine_! Have it your way! I'm leaving!" With that, he stood up and walked out of the room. A tense silence hung around the players.  
  
"Er, I'll match that and raise you all fifteen." Impa, going last as dealer, looked around after saying this.  
  
"Hmm... give me three cards." Setting down three of his cards, Link looked to Impa.  
  
"Two," said Ruto simply.  
  
"Fine. I want two as well." Zelda looked to Saria, who was next to her.  
  
Saria smirked. "One."  
  
Several eyebrows rose.  
  
"Give me three," said Nabooru, next to Saria.  
  
Impa passed around the cards, taking two different for herself.  
  
"Okay, which of you wimps are going to fold and cry like little babies?" crooned Nabooru. "Perhaps the fish?"  
  
"That's it! I've had enough of your thoughtless insults! Let's take this outside!"  
  
Nabooru stood so swiftly she seemed to be sitting one moment and standing the next. "Bring it!"  
  
Ruto seethed and lunged at Nabooru. The thief simply ducked. Smirking, she ran out of the room, with Ruto in hot pursuit.  
  
"Well, now that those two are away, who_ is_ folding?"  
  
With a glance toward each other, Zelda and Saria both set down their hands.  
  
"Saria, I thought you had a good hand?" inquired Link.  
  
"I did. I didn't get the card I needed."  
  
After a moment, Link spoke. "I still want my stuff back."  
  
"You still haven't bet anything."  
  
"Well, I... well... I bet twenty rupees."  
  
"Little wussy bet," said Zelda irritably.  
  
"Don't turn Nabooru on us now," commented Saria.  
  
Zelda turned to her with wide eyes. "How could you say something like that? I thought you were my friend!" With those words, Zelda stood and fled the room, crying overdramatically.  
  
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Wait! Zelda!" Saria in turn rose and ran out of the room after Zelda.  
  
The table was now very deserted. Link looked to Impa. "It's your turn."  
  
"Fine. I call it. I've got to go catch Zelda."  
  
Link threw down his hand, which was a pair of threes. Impa raised an eyebrow. "All you had was a pair of threes and you didn't fold?"  
  
Link stared at her, slightly taken aback. "What did you have?"  
  
Impa threw down a royal flush. "I've got to go catch Zelda." Standing, she walked out of the room.  
  
Link suddenly felt very alone. "Wait! Guys! Wait for me!" Shooting out of his chair, he darted out of the room.  
  
Silence settled over the cards, dust swirling in the soft chink of light from the window...  
  
Suddenly, a bright flash occurred in the middle of the room. When the dust settled, a large man in red robes stood near the door. Rauru coughed a little from the dusty room.  
  
"What'd I miss?" 


End file.
